Get Rid of Termites the Green and Natural Way

Nothing brings horror to a homeowner like the thought of having a termite infestation. Able to cause serious and expensive damage to any home, termites are definitely unwelcome pests. Many people are under the impression that the only solution for removing termites is by hiring an expensive exterminating service. This option can be very costly and expose your family and the environment to unwanted caustic and harmful pesticides. Fortunately, there are natural ways to kill termites yourself. These methods are effective and safe. They also cost much less than hiring an exterminator.

Before getting started it is important to know your enemy, in this case, the termite. The majority of termite species eat cellulose as a food source. Wood, such as that which is found in your home, is an excellent source of cellulose. Incredibly, termites view the wood in your home purely as food; they cannot live within the wooden structure for a prolonged period of time. All termites that infest a house actually live in a nest that is located away from the wood, usually underground. This is due to the fact that they are quite fragile and require the specific conditions of their nests to remain moist and not dry out. The termites in the wooden structures are simply part of an unending chain traveling from nest to wood for food.

As such, one of the best natural ways to kill termites is to attack them at their nest or at the point of entry into your home’s wooden structure. This can be accomplished by locating the shelter tubes which the termites use to make contact with your home. Once located, they should be destroyed or exposed and used as a conduit for introducing an organic agent which is deadly or detrimental to the termites. Some of the most effective agents are as follows.

Vinegar

Introducing vinegar, either in its pure form or diluted in a 50/50 mixture with water, is an effective way to kill termites that are immediately present and deter others from using a particular shelter tube. Repeated applications can be effective in preventing infestations and stopping others which are in the early stages.

Nematodes

“What is a nematode?” you ask. They are microscopic worms. Recently, they have gained popularity as a form of organic pest control. They can be purchased online or at garden supply stores. Normally, they are packaged in a container which houses a sponge like substance containing the living nematodes. This sponge is then squeezed into a container of water creating a nematode rich water solution. This solution in turn can then be sprayed to the affected area, such as the shelter tubes or other areas where termites are visible. The nematodes will infect the termites and eventually kill them off. What makes nematodes highly efficient is that the infected termites will carry the nematodes deep within their nest, killing off large portions of the population.

Keeping the Termites Away

Of course, once you have controlled the termite infestation, or to keep it from happening in the first place, one should also take a preventative approach towards termite control. Preventing the infestation can prevent you from needing to know how to kill termites in the first place. Make certain to install metal or plastic barriers to areas where your home’s wooden structure comes to contact with the ground. Also, apply either the vinegar or nematode solutions periodically around those same areas to prevent the encroachment of termites. Keeping loose timber or chopped firewood away from your home’s structure is also advisable. In so doing, you will be able to enjoy your home without worrying about pesky termites.

.I’m watching your infomercial on getting rid of bugs naturally. My home is completed. Very little exposed wood. At my front door around the concrete, I noticed winged termites and ants. Ants are in my home, and seem easy to remedy, but the termites is a whole issue of course. How can I find the tubes or the nest without opening walls? Or should I be concerned. Also there is a huge tree in front of my townhome that I believe have termites. Should my HOA remove tree.

It sounds drastic, but many times removing the tree infested with termites can be the solution. You can then use nematodes to spray on all visible termites so that they can take it back to their nests.

Thank you for this post!!! Me and my husband just put an offer in on an old house built in 1875 and during the inspection found termite issues… The sellers are getting a treatment done, but I needed some suggestions on how to keep the little buggers from coming back. This is great!! Now at least we have a practical way of preventing future problems. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!